Effects of exercise training on the cognitive function of older adults with different types of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

To assess the effect of exercise training on the cognitive function of older adults living with different types of dementia, as well as potential moderators of exercise efficacy. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Cochrane Central, PsycINFO, Embase, Medline and CINAHL. Peer-reviewed, randomised controlled trials, in English (1990-present), which examined the effects of exercise training on the cognitive function of older adults living with dementia. Risk of bias and study quality were assessed (Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0 and Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale). We performed random-effects models using robust variance estimation and tested moderators using the approximate Hotelling-Zhang test. Twenty-eight studies (n=2158) were included in the qualitative review and 25 in the meta-analysis. For all-cause dementia, a small effect of exercise training on cognitive function was observed (<i>g</i>=0.19; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.33; p=0.009). Type of dementia and exercise training characteristics did not moderate the effects of exercise training on cognitive function (p>0.05). Adherence to the intervention moderated the cognitive outcome effect size such that greater mean adherence was associated with greater cognitive outcome effect sizes (<i>b</i>=0.02; <i>SE</i>=0.01; p=0.005). Exercise training showed small benefits for the cognitive function of older adults living with all-cause dementia. More research and standardised reporting of exercise training characteristics can strengthen the evidence for what works best for which types of dementia. CRD42020198716.